XXL 2014 Freshman List Revealed

    XXL released its cover for its 2014 Freshman Class on BET’s 106 & Park today (May 5).

    The artists featured on the cover are Chance The Rapper, Rich Homie Quan, Isaiah Rashad, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Durk, Kevin Gates, Troy Ave, Vic Mensa, Lil Bibby, Jon Connor, Jarren Benton and August Alsina.

    The publication dubbed the 2014 Freshman Class as “The Dirty Dozen” on its cover.

    Other articles in the magazine’s June/July 2104 issue are “The Real Lil Boosie Story” and items on Migos, Iggy Azalea, Danny Brown and Meek Mill.

    An Instagram of the XXL cover unveiling on 106 & Park and an image of the cover are as follows:

    RELATED: Eminem, Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine Cover XXL’s April/May Issue

    135 thoughts on “XXL 2014 Freshman List Revealed

      1. neither is isiah now that he dropped, of course it’s not based on age but I think it should not include people that have dropped an album on a major label

    1. All of them, but I mean all of them look like some straight fucking faggots. Not to mention I can only put one name to one of said faggots. Damn dog, for reals, this were the game at?????? Black hippy homos can eat a dick too, bunch of trannies running this shit now. Shit is embarrassing to tell dudes that you listen to rap nowadays. We went from the DMX’s, timbos? Bomber jackets, the Scarfaces, basket ball jerseys, westside connection, khakis, bandanas and chucks, to this SHIT???? Fuck!!! Bunch of faggots, bunch of sluts, bunch of idiots, soft dick sucking retards. Macklemore’s and Asher Roths, Mac millers, damn, why the fuck this?????????? Anyways, Imma keep mine strictly west coast 90’s g shit, you faggots conform yourselves with homosexual shit. To all my real ones, like they do in the D, what up tho! To the faggots and privelrdged white boys, motherfucking die slow!!!
      WEST SIIIIIIIIIIDE!!!!!!

      1. as a white man I don’t endorse any of this shit. I think its pandering to people who buy albums in 2014, which is 14 year old kids with itunes gift cards. more often than not, white kids sure, but all races of our youth are down with this disgraceful shit, unfortunately.

      2. The 90’s is over. As someone born in 80’s the 90’s was my favourite era for hip-hop as well, BUT seriously times change…build a time machine or shut the fuck up!

      3. Lol nigga please, don’t act like the 90’s was all gangsta shit, forgot about MC Hammer? Vanilla Ice? Digable Planets? Tribe Called Quest? That decade had its share of soft niggas as well

      4. outside of tribe and Digable, no one you mentioned got any respect in the culture . Even though, they sold records , we lived in an era where money and profile in the pop world did not equal respect in the culture . those times are long gone._.

      1. Vic and Chance are like brothers they’ve been with each other since they started rapping their styles are gonna rub off on each other and Vic started rapping before Chance.

    2. I get that Justin Bieber is an established singer and all but I thought for damn sure that Bugatti Biebs would be the surprise token White guy this year! Can’t wait for that Boosie and Bugatti Biebs song, two real niggas who don’t back down from anything.

    3. Looking at the picture and not the names I only recognized 5 of these guys. Troy Ave, Chance, Rich Homie Quan, Lil Durk and Isaiah Rashad.

      Jarren Benton is the only one I’ve never heard of before.

    4. Fuck my man Gunplay lost. I saw his name was on the nominees to vote for. Maybe they thought 35 with no release date for his first album wasn’t a good look.

      1. nobody knows who gunplay is, anyone eating the crumbs out of rick ross belly button cant be that good

        #MaybachSmokecrack #CCCwho?

    5. Clashing with my opinion further endorses your sexuality. Faggot ass aids transporters, kill all your useless selves for ruining the world. Hip hop shit is a voice for the poor, fuck a priveledged white boy, fuck an uncle tom, fuck a white washed Mexican. Fuck anybody listening to these “artists” nowadays. Everybody, trolls included slit your wrists, sensitive bitch made queer fucks. On the 90’s tip, crossing every fucking body out and putting a ‘K!!!!
      West siiiide for life, fuck the soft shit, fuck all the gay shit. To the real, what it do!? To the fake, gobble a dick smeared in doo doo. Fuck anybody who came out in this rap shit after 2005, real shit! Fuck faggots, fuck faggot supporters, fuck anybody who replies with anything other than a co-sign. Oh yea, yo mommas want their pants back, bitches!

      1. You can tell this comment is written by some fat ugly deluded american kid who thinks he’s black (just like most of the other retarded comments on this stupid website), do humanity a favour and kill yourself before you reproduce please.

    6. who the fuck is Jarren Benton and where is Fat Trel?!
      DC always has to fight for respect

      1. my bad, saw “Migos” @ the right of the cover and thought they were on the list lol but still, the list is wrong for the most part, like Ty Dolla Sign been around since 2010, maybe even earlier

      2. theres always someone on the list who has been around for years just not in the mainstream

    7. The only dudes on the list that can actually spit are Chance, Isaiah Rashad, Jon Connor, Jarren Benton & Troy Ave

      1. I really don’t know if I can bring myself to listen to a dude called Lil Bibby, sounds like a fast food chain

      2. haha yeah — i donno why people hatin, this is the best freshman list i seen in a while, good, relevant rappers

    8. so all y’all are mad cause the usual trash ass popular kids didnt make the cut for once? maybe XXL is getting their shit together. Y’all still got Quan, Durk, August n whoever the fuck Bibby is on there. That should be a win right?

      1. Actually, we don’t need him. There are already enough of those bullshit pop-bubble gum-“rappers”.

    9. Young Thug has the potential to be a hip hop superstar. XXL is scared of true talent. Yougn Thug is the Michael Jordan of hip hop. #RichGang #YMCMB #Swag

      1. Young thug is trash sounds like a rooster when he raps, baccckkaaaaaa. Rich homie quan is garbage too, can’t wait to hear his and Ty dolla signs “freestyle” what a joke

    10. Wow, Troy Ave on the freshman list? It was just so long ago that I saw my first Troy Ave video back when BET actually aired music, around 2006 or so. Then his debut album FINALLY gets released in 2013. “Rep it with my Heart” was the first time I heard him.

      1. I dont think Troy Ave was around in 2006 but I could be wrong. He must have been on some super underground shit back then… I first heard him around 2010 I believe.

    11. Would have thought Denzel Curry would be on this list.

      It’s weird, the last 3 or so years when the list was announced, I knew basically 90% of them already very well.
      This year… meh, I just don’t really give a shit. Chance and Benton are the only ones I even listen to. Not sure if I care less about hip-hop or there just aren’t as many exciting up-and-comers anymore

      1. Vic goes in, he rocks the crowds too #savemoney
        Check out Feel That and listen to his mixtape Innanetape

    12. WTF ??? They could of added one more person from Chicago to this list : shYce maYne

      His EP ” Validation ” was the best thing that came out this year

      SMH !

    13. XXXL CAN GO TO HELL FOR THIS LAME ASS SHIT
      I mean the freshmen list dont even matter no more half these niggaz wont make it a semister

    14. 1. Young Thug
      2. Lil Durk
      3. Chief Keef
      4. Rick Ross
      5. French Montana
      6. Future
      7. Kid Ink
      8. Ty Dolla Sign
      9. Wiz Khalifa
      10. Lil Wayne

      #MY #TOP5 #BEStRAPPERS #AGE25

      1. you know what a dick tastes like.

        #worstlist #frauds #actors #youforgotDrake

        #11. Justin Bieber

      1. you’re dumb. Troy Ave & Jon Connor are new guys with old school golden age flow, they’re real, they’re gonna bring back hiphop, away from the trash that it has become, thanks to fucks like rick ross, future, half of atlanta, and all these bubble gum ass fans supporting the shit

      2. no ones bringing hip hop back cause hip hop has always been here. never left. stop saying it left just cause you don’t like shit. not everything was made for your liking you entitled punk

      1. Lol first at your name as much as DX has gone to shit lately they aren’t the ones making the list. And 2nd are you not familiar with the Freshman List? French was on it after like 10 years in the game lol

    15. You guys need to be a little more respectful, having Chance FINALLY featured, Vic – his brother from another, RHQ – who will put on tons of other south rappers, AND Ty Dolla$ who’s already with Taylor Gang, this list is hyped as fuck.
      That means NEW music from these goons, smile about it!

      They’re stupid for no Young Thug though, real stupid.

    16. why do you idiots always say bringing hip hop back? why is everything bringing hip hop back just cause you like it? wasnt hip hop back the last time that one guy brought hip hop back?

      SHUT YOUR GOTDAMN MOUTH

      1. I agree. But sadly it’s also because there’s always some bitch nigga saying hip-hop is dead

      2. It’s because that’s how fans have become conditioned. Always want someone and something new and are always trying to discover that one artist before everyone else. Makes them feel special that they can say “I told you he was gonna be huge” before anyone else can. There’s a very short attention span now in the average hip-hop fan (I’m not saying you guys either).

    17. They say it takes 10 years to be an overnight sensation. Jon Connor shoulda been on the freshmen cover with Wiz Kalifa, Blue and Wale.

      1. I was only refering about how long he been around not whether he deserved the cover or not, that’s just an example that backs what I was saying, and the only 09 freshman with a classic is Blu, everybody else what good for a couple singles or are currently MIA.

      2. Naah b so Wale, Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa, and Asher Roth don’t have classic mixtapes now? Kid Cudi’s albums and mixtapes aren’t classic? And we can’t forget Charles Hamilton.. They are the pioneers who started this whole thing. If you go back and listen, they were on the cover cause their projects were great and deserved national recognition

    18. no king los?? lyrically he’s better than all of these guys. he doesnt make the best songs tho and his beat selection is horrible but he deserves to be on the list

      1. “he doesnt make the best songs tho and his beat selection is horrible”

        now let’s let this one marinate

    19. Lil durk is a veteran in the game by now lol…. Troy Ave has a chance to be special though

    20. XXL did not miss out on Young Thug… He didnt show up for the cover shoot. Check out The Breakfast Club w/ XXL Magazine. The Editor explains what happened… Drake, Nicki Minaj, Jay Electronica, Vado, A$AP Rocky & now Young Thug turned down the cover.

    21. Could there be more Chicago rappers? Sheesh that city is just producing artists like crazy. Not saying it’s good or bad before people catch feelings because I made a simple observation. I do feel like this is one of the weaker Freshman classes personally. There’s a few emcees but most are pretty average in my book. And I don’t get why the last 3 years they have someone like August (Roscoe & Kirko).

      It’s funny too reminiscing on the year Macklemore was on the list and really nobody had heard of him and now he’s bigger than the rest of the emcees that year. I don’t see that happening with this list though except for maybe Chance the rest aren’t capable of that huge mainstream status (whether you like or dislike Mack he achieved success).

    22. Kevin Gates n Jon Connor dope isaiah good as well.

      What the fuck is chance wearing ????
      Troy ave looks 15 years older than everyone else

    23. Where dat riff raff nigga at I wanted to laugh at his goofy ass. His bars do be funny tho

    24. The corniest sounding, most unlyrical MC’s all on one cover. No, Cyphi Da Prince? Willie Da Kid? haha XXL stay losing

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    26. $97/hr pavivdv by Google, I am making a good salary from home $5500-$7000/week , which is amazing, under a year ago I was jobless in a horrible economy. I thank God every day I was blessed with these instructions and now it’s my duty to pay it forward and share it with Everyone, Here is I started,,,
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    27. First off, not super relevant, i guess, but Jon Connor is like fucking 40 years old now.

      Anyway, the list is ass minus Chance, Isaiah, and Vic.

      Shouldve been them, Kirk Knight, Bodega Bamz, Vince Staples, A$ton Matthews, UA, Kembe X, and Alex Wiley.

      I mean … whatthefuck?

      How are you gonna justify the XXL lineup by saying they need commerically viable acts, then ignore the huge talent on the bubble for some shit thats just a bunch ass Jeezy ripoffs and some misfires?

    28. Who cares, 98% of these young cats in Hip Hop are wack. Can’t blame them though, they grew up listening to 50 Cent, Lil Wayne & Kanye West so what do you expect?

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